BY BAG
FM FCO
ΤΟ SAVING
HECK OLD/1.
ALL LIVED
INDEX
ميه
1. 4.MAR 1979
36
SECRET
SAVING TELEGRAM
ль
J14.3
l
HONG KONG
NO 13 SAVING OF 13 MARCH
REPEATED (FOR INFO) SAVING: PEKING
Your telegram No 253: New Territories Leases
1. I have now considered your proposals for dealing
with the problem posed by the expiry of property
leases in the New Territories in 1997. I agree that
our objective should be to secure Chinese agreement,
explicit or tacit, to the issue of new leases
"for as long as Her Majesty may administer the
Territories" and to the conversion of existing
leases into indeterminate leases. I accept that
there is a strong political case for an Order
in Council on the lines which you have agreed with
the department, in addition to the legislation that
SECRET
/ would be